


Maybe literature isn't so bad after all

by Aeris444



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Books, Football, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-20 02:29:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14885912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeris444/pseuds/Aeris444
Summary: Arthur had always thought he would find love with someone just like him. With a bloke who came from the same background as him and sharing his interests in life.But destiny has his own will…





	Maybe literature isn't so bad after all

**Author's Note:**

  * For [little_dhampir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_dhampir/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Maybe football isn't so bad after all](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1952091) by [little_dhampir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_dhampir/pseuds/little_dhampir). 



> little_dhampir, I’m so happy that I’ve been paired with you for this remix fic! I have really loved your fic 1000 touches when you published it but it was such a hard work to remix so I’ve read (or re read) all your other fics and choose this once! I loved the idea that opposites attracts but I also think that opposites can enrich each other and that’s what I saw in this fic!
> 
> I hope you’ll enjoy my take on this!
> 
> Thanks to Dig for the beta!

Arthur had always thought he would find love with someone just like him. With a bloke who came from the same background as him and sharing his interests in life.

But destiny has his own will…

***

Arthur came to Lance’s place early. He had promised to help his friend set everything up for their open air football party. England was out of the World Cup already but Arthur was cheering for Germany, loving their way of playing. Tonight, they were competing against Chile for the round of sixteen.

Gwen, Lance’s girlfriend who had moved in with him just a few weeks before welcomed Arthur as he arrived. All together, they put all the chairs outside and prepared the popcorn, crisps and other snacks.

A few hours later, all the guest arrived. Everyone was keeping themselves occupied by talking, drinking and eating, as they waited for the game to start. Some people were clearly flirting, too with the idea of either celebrating the victory of their favourite team or forgetting the loss with some steamy activities.

Arthur was looking for Lance to tell him Leon would not come as his son was sick. As he walked around looking around for his friend, Arthur completely missed the fact that his sister was standing near him, talking to a man, and he ended up knocking the man over. 

 

“Sorry, mate. I hope you didn’t spill your drink,” he said, looking apologetically at the man he had just pushed over. 

The bloke was stunning. Lithe and a little taller than Arthur with dark unruly hair and piercing blue eyes. He had no idea his sister had such handsome friends.

“No problem, didn’t have a drink anyway,” the man replied with the cutest smile Arthur had ever seen. His eyes crinkled and two little dimples appeared making his cheekbones stand out even more. 

“We should definitely change that! Hope you won’t mind Morgana,” Arthur said, determined to spend a little more time with the man. “Come on, let’s go find you something in the kitchen,,” he urged the stranger.

“You know Morgana, then,” the man said shortly after they'd walked into the kitchen. 

 

“You can say that," Arthur said, laughing. "she’s my sister. Half-sister if you want to be technical about it.”

“So you’re… Arthur?”

“I am and I’m not sure I want to know what my harpy of a sister has told you about me.”

“Not much… And I’m Merlin… Not even joking.” The man answered with his wonderful smile.

“Arthur and Merlin?” Arthur laughed. “It looks like we were meant to meet!”

Merlin laughed, too and Arthur swooned. How was it even possible to be so beautiful?

“Want some beer?” Arthur asked as he took a bottle for himself from the fridge. 

“Actually, I shouldn’t drink anything with alcohol in it. Early day tomorrow. But I’ll take a coke.”

“Cheers,” Arthur said, giving Merlin a can. “So what do you do for a living that requires you to get there early tomorrow?”

“I just took over my uncle’s bookshop and I can’t expect my co-workers to start on time when I don’t.”

“Fair enough, I work for my father’s company, so I should be on time too,” Arthur said. 

So Merlin worked in a bookshop… Not exactly the kind of person Arthur was used to hanging out with but that smile made Arthur want to broaden his horizon. 

Arthur saw Merlin looking at the clock.  
.  
“Only 15 minutes to go. So what team are you supporting tonight?” He asked, hoping they would at least agree on that.

“Actually I’m not really into football. Or any other sport. I don’t even know who is playing in the finale,” Merlin confessed. 

Arthur tried to hide his disappointment. 

“I am only here because my friends dragged me. They thought we haven’t seen each other much lately, so I should join them. But most of them ditched me to celebrate and shag somebody.” 

Arthur couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed like Merlin and him did not have that much in common but he sure seemed to be really funny and friendly. He wondered, if he should try to be friend with someone different for once?

“You are one in a kind, Merlin. I happen to love football; I even play myself on the weekend, that’s how I know Lance. So you should just cheer for Germany, like us!.”

In that moment, chose to come into the kitchen. 

“You should start to make your way towards the garden, brother dear. Unless you want to have no good seat left in front of the screen when the game starts,” she said and walked away just as quickly. 

“She is right, we should go. And while we wait, we can go over the rules, so you will know what is going on,” Arthur offered. That would be the perfect excuse to stay by Merlin’s side.

“I know the rules!” Merlin answered, slightly offended. “I just prefer books.”

They reached the garden and Morgana had been right, nearly everybody was already seated in the garden. Arthur spotted two free seats at the end of the second row and led Merlin, there, grabbing a whole bowl of popcorn on his way. 

“So what is your favourite book then? Or genre?” Arthur asked, not wanting to bore Merlin too soon with football rules. 

“That would take way more time to answer then we have,” Merlin replied.

Arthur saw the opportunity and his answer came out naturally. “Maybe we should meet again then, so we’ll have more time to talk about it,” 

Merlin nodded with another attack from his smile just as someone shouted the match was starting . 

Arthur looked at the screen but Merlin nudged him, holding a business card from his shop and a scribbled a phone number on the back.

In the end, Germany won and Merlin and Arthur set a date for the next weekend.

***

It was their third date and they had planned to go out for Chinese. Arthur had proposed to pick Merlin form his bookshop after he was all closed up. 

During their first two dates, Arthur had learned how important that bookshop was for Merlin. It had been his Uncle’s and Merlin had inherited it after his death. Since then, Merlin invested all his energy in running it the best he could. 

Arthur admired that quite a lot, and he surprisingly enjoyed listening to Merlin talk about his shop and the books. And he was happy to finally see the shop his boyfriend loved so much.

When Arthur reached the shop, he discovered a small window with a neatly arranged display of books. It was welcoming and Arthur found himself thinking how it suited Merlin perfectly.

He entered and was welcomed by a bell jingling. The girl behind the desk turned towards him.

“Welcome at the Dragon’s Lair! I’m here if you need any help!”

She was cheerful but not exaggeratedly so. She looked truly happy to help the customers.

“I’m Arthur. I’m here to meet Merlin.”

“Arthur? The Arthur? Merlin wasn’t lying when he told us about you!” she said with a cocky grin.

“Oh? What did he say?”

“I said nothing!” Merlin’s voice interrupted them. “Freya, there are some books that need to be moved into the Children's section, why don’t you go help Elena with that?”

The girl smiled again but she didn’t say anything else and left towards the back of the shop.

“Sorry…”

“So you told your employees about me?” Arthur asked, coming near Merlin behind the desk.

“I may have mentioned you once or twice.”

“Do you know you’re a very bad liar?”

“But I’m a good kisser.” And Merlin ended the discussion with a kiss, making Arthur weak in the knees.

“Oh! I have something for you!” He said once they parted and Merlin disappeared in what Arthur supposed was the storehouse.

He came back just a minute later, a book in his hand.

“It’s my favourite. I know you’re not that fond of reading but I think you’ll like it. And the hero shares you name.”

“A true hero, then! Thank you, Merlin.”

Arthur took the book and put a kiss on Merlin’s jaw.

“It’s nothing.” Merlin answered, slightly blushing. It made Arthur realise how important the gift was for Merlin. Booklover or not, he was going to read that book!

“Alright, I’ll let the girls now I’m leaving and then we can go.”

Arthur nodded and Merlin went to the back of the shop.

***

As they both had a busy week ahead of them, they decided to see each other again on the next Saturday. Arthur took the initiative to invite Merlin over at his flat. He was hoping they would take their relationship to another level after the steamy kisses they'd been sharing. And Arthur did consider Merlin to be his boyfriend. 

On Saturday, Merlin arrived at Arthur's with his usual fifteen minutes delay. Arthur opened the door and they shared a little kiss in the corridor before Arthur led them into the lounge. 

Immediately, Merlin spotted the book on the coffee table. Arthur looked at it, too. He knew that Merlin could easily spot that Arthur had been read by the way it wasn’t staying perfectly closed anymore.

“You’ve read it?” Merlin asked with a hopeful smile.

“I may have finished it yesterday,” Arthur confessed with a shy smile.

“Did you like it?” Merlin asked, grabbing Arthur hand to lead him to the couch.

“Surprisingly, I did.” 

“I knew you would!”

Merlin looked smug and started asking Arthur so many questions about what he had liked, what he thought about the characters, the universe. 

Arthur got caught up and answered with as much enthusiasm as Merlin was asking more questions.

“You’re so sexy when you talk about books,” Merlin said, suddenly interrupting their conversation. 

And before Arthur could react, he found himself with a lapful of Merlin, attacked by kisses. 

***

Later, as Arthur lay in his bed, with a sated Merlin asleep in his arms, he couldn’t help but think that maybe literature wasn’t so bad after all.


End file.
